Skoda teases Vision E ahead of Shanghai debut

Bilal FirfirayThursday 30 March 2017, 11:14 AM

Skoda has announced that it will unveil a new study, Vision E, at this year’s Shanghai Motor Show. The Vision E will give us a glimpse of Skoda’s strategy for electric cars and autonomous technology from the Czech manufacturer.

The official design sketches of the Vision E hint at a coupe-SUV measuring 4.64m in length, 1.91m wide and 1.55m tall with a wheelbase of 2.85m. The Vision E body style might even be a preview to the Kodiaq Coupe which is slated to arrive by 2019. Based on Volkswagen’s newly developed MEB platform, the Vision E is powered by two electric motors with a combined power output of 225kW (300bhp). Supported by a powerful set of the lithium-ion battery pack, the Vision E will have a range of 500km and would hit a top speed of 180kmph. With Vision E, Skoda will demonstrate their autonomous technology as it will have all the prerequisite hardware needed for level 3 autonomous driving. On the inside, there will be a large 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system with the highest level of connectivity option seen in a Skoda. The seats will be highly adjustable with ease of access. And since the battery is concealed under the flat floor, this may be indicative of large cabin space.

The Czech carmaker has spawned a number of vehicles from concepts like the Vision D, Vision C and Vision S. There are rumours that the vehicle spawned from Vision E will be called Aratan since Skoda had recently trademarked that name for an upcoming vehicle.

Skoda will kick-start its push for electrification with the Superb hybrid by the year 2019, which will be promptly followed by a new all-electric vehicle in 2020. Skoda is intensely pursuing this shift towards electric powertrains and intends to have at least five all-electric vehicles across various segments by the year 2025.